"BOARDED" EMPLOYEES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9062, 10 April 1908, Page 5

"BOARDED" EMPLOYEES.

OBJECTED TO BY THE BAKERS UNION. A STRONGLY-INDICTED SYSTEM. An important feature of the claim! by the Bakers' Union in the indus trial dispute before the Arbitrator Court yesterday was the objection oi the employers to a claim by thi Union that no boarding of employees by their employers be allowed within a twenty-five mile radius of specifiec post offices. The Conciliation Boarc had granted the Union claims in respect of radii, but had deleted one or two small centres from the lift set out by the Union. Mr Easthope, who appeared for the employers, asked the Court to reduce the radius to five miles, as asked by the Hawke's Bay Industrial Union jf Employers, contending that there were plenty of bakeries established in isolated positions where it was manifestly convenient for both em-

ployer and employee for the latter to board with his employer. Mr Westbrooke,' secretary of the Union, reserved the bulk of his comments on this point until summarising the evidence taken throughout the various centres in connection with the dispute, at the conclusion of the taking of evidence. He thsn I spoke regarding the "boarding" | clause, and almost passionately denounced the system of boarded employees generally, nnd bakers' hands in particular. He said that in many cases the system had simply meant the sweating and slaving of the unfortunate employee. His hours were never certain, and sometimes never ended. The speaker had known of cases where the employee had actually slept in the bakehouse itself, and sometimes on sacks, and in lofts above the bakehouse. Such conditions were not appetising, and were also prejudicial to the health of the employee. The speaker said that he did not believe there was a single bake- j house in the district at which a hired hand was employed where a place of board and lodging could not be obtained. ThtJ Union had practically killed the boarding system in many places before ever there was an ■ award, by absolutely refusing to live on the premises, and what the speaker desired to see was the clause regarding boarding amended to read that it be absolutely prohibited.

His Honour asked if it had not worked well under the old award. Mr, Westbrooke replied that it had not, that even limited as were the number of cases of boarded employees the Union had heard of verygrave abuses. Mr Westbrooke stated inadvertently that the Conciliation Board had struck out the boarded employee clause altogether, but ascertained after the Court adjourned that he was in error. The point is of considerable importance to many country bakers, and apart from the wages question, constituted the most contentious point between the Union and the employers. Should the Arbitration Court adopt the Conciliation Board's recommendations the following will be the post offices within a radius of twenty-five miles of which master bakers will not be allowed to board employees:—Wellington, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier, and Masterton. The positian will be anomalous as some large ce-tres of population, such as Pahiatua and Eketahuna, will be outside the limit; while some very small townships, intended to benefit by the award, would be reverselv treated.